


The Right Words

by bibliomaniac



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fans & Fandom, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, alert: this did not end up being incredibly silly, sorry - Freeform, this is going to be incredibly silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-10-16 15:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10573704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibliomaniac/pseuds/bibliomaniac
Summary: Revali, aka controversial user birdistheword, and Link, aka BNF themasterknight, have been in a feud of sorts from the beginning. (Sort of, because it would be more accurate to say that Revali has been feuding with a grudging Link, who will readily acknowledge that Revali is a dick but has no interest in interacting with him, like, at all.)The problem is that Revali has the smallest bit of a crush on Link. Mostly a writing thing, barely anything at all, really, but it's a seed ofsomething, and that's enough.





	1. In Which Revali Is In Denial

**Author's Note:**

> what fandom doesn't need a fandom au amirite *laughs weakly* sorry this is such trash

i have always lived for you (please just say you need me too) by birdistheword

Wild and Breathless

**No Archive Warnings Apply** , Alve (Wild and Breathless)/Noro (Wild and Breathless), Alve (Wild and Breathless), Noro (Wild and Breathless), Corsica (Wild and Breathless), Kaos (Wild and Breathless), Angst with a Happy Ending, but mostly angst, and smut, lots of smut, which I will NOT be blamed for by the way

The wind takes Alve to beautiful places, but the most beautiful place will always be by Noro’s side.

Language: English   Words: 47,056   Chapters: 25/?   Comments: 516   Kudos: 3672   Bookmarks: 745   Hits: 66056

* * *

A Time Other Than Now by themasterknight

Wild and Breathless

**No Archive Warnings Apply** , Alve (Wild and Breathless)/Noro (Wild and Breathless), Alve (Wild and Breathless), Noro (Wild and Breathless), Corsica (Wild and Breathless), Alternate Universe – Human, Alternate Universe – Modern, Alternate Universe — Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Fluff and Angst, Pining, Misunderstandings, So Many Misunderstandings, noro is completely oblivious, but what else is new, also alve is a jerk, but that’s nothing new either

Soulmates exist, but they’re no guarantee. Nobody knows that better than Noro and Alve, who have been Connected all their lives, but have never once thought of acting on it.

(That’s actually a lie. Noro has thought about it, a lot. But that doesn’t mean anything will happen.)

((aka the one where noro and alve are soulmates who hate each other…psych they’re actually in love with each other and think the other hates them))

Language: English   Words: 25,604   Chapters: 23/?   Comments: 512   Kudos: 3504   Bookmarks: 732   Hits: 65072

* * *

 

Revali scowls at the computer screen. He had worked late into the night to get another chapter ready after he had seen TMK update, hoping to steal some of his thunder, but as always, their works are about equal in terms of fan recognition. And that’s _with_ TMK at about half Revali’s word count, which is completely unfair. Everything about TMK is unfair, though. Revali hates himself for starting to get used to it.

TMK, aka themasterknight, aka Link, is a BNF in the Wild and Breathless fandom. One of its most prolific authors and an equally prolific selfie-taker, he’d taken the fandom by storm a few months ago when he started publishing fic out of nowhere for what had been a rarepair. His follower count had exploded almost overnight, as had the art and fic for the pairing.

Revali, on the other hand, who goes by the handle birdistheword and has never posted a selfie in his life, has been a fic author for years. He’s had to build his follower count up painstakingly, person by person—ostensibly because he writes almost entirely obscure pairings, but also because he’s honestly not very nice to his followers and he has sort of an ego. He knows both of these things, but it’s not like he’s so put out by it that he’s going to change, or anything. In any case, he had been the first Alve/Noro author, but he only started to get any recognition after TMK’s fic had put the pairing on the collective fandom radar.

That pisses Revali off.

He’s obviously better than TMK, _obviously._ Sure, his prose can get a bit purple at times—or all the time, really, who is he kidding—and sometimes his characterization can be thrown to the wayside in favor of advancing the plot he wants, but other than that, he’s pretty much mastered the world of fanfiction. The point is he’s better, and he has no problem with TMK knowing he thinks that.

His feud with TMK is sort of legendary in the fandom. It started when he sent him a rather long submission critiquing the plot of his latest piece—full of tired tropes, really, TMK has such an obvious _thing_ for soulmate AU’s. And, yes, he’ll admit he was a bit snappy, and maybe he should have offered some constructive criticism along with the straight-up criticism, but in his defense he was tired and pissy about his recent success being due pretty much entirely to TMK’s influence, so. 

Immediately after responding, he had started regretting most of his life decisions up to that point, because Goddess, TMK may have utterly crappy plot, but his _characters._ Revali will admit that he’s never seen anyone write more complex characters, layering on the canon characterization in a way that feels deep and _real,_ and while he’d never say it, maybe part of the reason he had been so pissed in the first place is because Revali is very secure in his plots, but TMK has him beat in terms of characterization any way you slice it. And, okay, his writing is also personable and realistic in a way that Revali could never match, and if Revali is being bitingly honest with himself, he’s got a bit of a writing crush.

He had been about to apologize, which he never does, when TMK responds to the submission with just “lol k”

Revali had been floored. All of that very valid criticism and all he had gotten was “lol k”?! And to make the matter worse, TMK fans had begun to flood his inbox, and they weren’t very nice at all. His own supporters fought back, and basically it was all a mess until TMK had posted “guys chill out?? i love you all but you’re not my bodyguards and i can take criticism just fine”, and somehow that had pissed Revali off even more. TMK could at least do him the justice of caring.

Anyway, ever since then, they had been at war. Sort of. Revali is pretty sure he’s more invested in the whole thing than TMK ever will be. But whatever.

He posts a scathing review of TMK’s latest chapter, tags TMK in it, and absolutely does not go through TMK’s blog or, more specifically, his “my face” tag, because he absolutely does not think TMK is cute. Just, you know, that he’d look hot flushed and begging for Revali’s mercy, which is an entirely different thing, really.

Replies start flooding in pretty quickly, which is impressive considering it’s so late. A lot of people are cussing him out, which, fine, maybe he deserves that. A lot of people calling him a loser, which, okay, maybe he deserves that too. 

But the one that catches his eye is the one that simply says “lol birdie is so obviously hate-gay for TMK pass it on”

And that leaves him where he started, scowling at the computer, because he is _not._ Like, yes he is gay, and yes he has a writing crush, and yes he thinks TMK is hot, and yes he hates TMK, but that’s…all of that together doesn’t mean anything.

He shoves the thought from his mind, shuts off his computer, and shuts his eyes. People are just ridiculous, he decides. It’s a good thing he himself is a paragon of rationality and poise. Somebody needs to be.


	2. In Which Revali Makes Bad Decisions

**themasterknight**

wild-and-panting asked:

hey what do you think of birdistheword’s recent review?

[picture contains a blond male-identifying person in a light blue shirt, smiling and cheerfully delivering a middle finger]

@birdistheword

Ask themasterknight a question #birdistheword #wild-and-panting #ask tag #birdie bs #my face #scopophobia cw #eye contact cw

* * *

 

Revali wrinkles his nose. How tactless. He scrolls idly through the notes on the ask—lots of likes, mostly, but a few replies (‘lol’, ‘you tell him’, ‘come on tmk don’t sink to his level’). He reblogs the ask with a badly photoshopped picture of three middle fingers side by side, then sinks back into his bed, sighing.

Some days he gets tired of this whole thing, honestly. He can’t just _stop_ though. It’s a matter of pride.

But he doesn’t really have time to think about it, either, because it’s time for him to get ready for work. He works at the library. He’s always loved libraries—the quiet, the peacefulness. He works mostly behind the scenes, so he doesn’t have to interact with too many people either, which he will admit is not his strong point.

One of his coworkers, an emo-looking guy named Harth, comes to find Revali in the stacks a few hours after work starts. “Hey, you know ASL, right?”

“Barely,” Revali says, looking up at Harth with a raised eyebrow. “I took it two years in high school.”

“Well, that’s more than me. There’s a customer here who needs help.”

He rolls his eyes and walks out to the front desk, and there he sees someone he never expected or, really, wanted to ever see in person.

It’s TMK, dressed in the same light blue shirt that he had been wearing when he had flipped off Revali earlier today.

Revali feels a flash of panic, even though logically he knows he’s never given out his real name online, or posted a picture, or anything that could identify him, really. He stares, eyes wide, at TMK for a while, who’s starting to look distinctly uncomfortable.

“SORRY,” TMK signs, “OKAY?” 

Revali nods. “YES,” he signs hesitantly. “MY NAME R-E-V-A-L-I. I LEARN ASL TWO YEARS. YOUR NAME WHAT?” 

“GOOD!” TMK signs, looking pleased. “MY NAME L-I-N-K. I NEED BOOK FOR HISTORY CLASS. MIND HELP?” Then, almost as an afterthought, he adds, “I HEAR, YOU CAN TALK.”

“Oh, okay,” Revali says out loud, a bit high-pitched. He still doesn’t know how to deal with this situation. TMK—no, Link— lives in this town? Probably a student; they’re not far away from the state college. Also, TMK (Link, he has to remember that, he’s a customer) is _here,_ and Goddess, he’s staring expectantly— 

“Right, well, our history books are over here. What specifically are you looking for?”

Link signs something. The last word is ‘history’, but he doesn’t know the first word. 

“Sorry, I don’t know that sign. Something to do with ears?”

Link huffs, then fingerspells, “E-L-F.”

“You want…to know about the history of elves?”

“YES.” He has the decency to look embarrassed, pink spreading across his cheeks.

“I mean…” Revali pauses. “They don’t exist.”

Link gives him a dry look. “I KNOW.”

“So, then…like tracking their history throughout myth and literature?”

“YES.”

“Okay.” Revali taps his chin, thinking. “Then we’re not going to be in history, we’re going to be in folklore. It’s a bit of a walk, sorry.”

“FINE.”

“What class are you in?” Revali asks on the way, not because he actually cares, but because he’s curious. “It’s odd a history class would care about mythology.”

When he looks over at Link, he’s blanching, shrinking in on himself.

Revali’s eyes narrow. “Not for a class?”

Link sighs, looking defeated. It’s kind of a good look on him. “FOR WRITING.”

Ah. Noro is an elf. He probably should have made that connection earlier. “Why would you get embarrassed about that?” Revali prods, because he knows, but he sort of wants to see Link blush again. 

“NOT…BOOK,” Link signs, frustrated, going red. “F-A-N-F-I-C-T-I-O-N.”

Revali’s mouth curves at the corners. Ha. There it is. “Gotcha. So you want the book to write elf porn.”

Link goes even redder. “NO.” 

“It’s okay,” Revali teases, falling easily into his online persona. “Sometimes we all have to write elf-birdman porn. It’s a primal urge.”

Link frowns. “YOU KNOW?” Then his face drops, as does Revali’s when he realizes what he’s done. “KNOW ME?”

“Oh, Goddess,” Revali mumbles. “Um…well, you…crap. Yeah.”

Link goes pale. “RIGHT.”

They stare at the floor for a while, then Link signs, obviously intending to joke, “YOU THINK WHAT?”

Revali exhales, looking away and thinking. He doesn’t want to give away his true identity, so he decides to be honest for once. “You’re, uh…you’re good. You’re my favorite in the fandom, actually.” 

Link smiles at that, ducking his head. “THANK-YOU.”

There’s another awkward silence, then Revali says with a cough, “So, the books on elves.”

“YES.”

They get to the folklore section, and Revali recommends a few books after a cursory readthrough of the book jackets.

“Noro isn’t, like, a Tolkien elf, so that’s going to limit things quite a bit,” he says thoughtfully, still pulling out books that look promising and putting them back when he decides against them. “Really, Wild and Breathless elves are more like humans with pointy ears. What made you decide to do some research anyway? Your current fic is a human AU.”

“NEW F-I-C,” Link signs confidentially. “N-O-R-O…” he hesitates, then fingerspells, “I-M-M-O-R-T-A-L? SIMILAR T-O-L-K-I-E-N.”

“Sounds angsty.”

Link flashes a grin. “YES. VERY. A-L-V-E  R-E-I-N-C-A-R-N-A-T-E—”

“So he doesn’t have his memories,” Revali says, slightly awestruck. “That sounds amazing.”

“THANK-YOU. I HOPE.”

“No, it will be. Are you doing soulmates again?”

Link shrugs. “NOT DECIDE.”

“I think it’d be cooler if you didn’t here,” Revali says, mind already running wild. “Like, if the only thing bringing them together is Noro’s love for Alve, and they don’t always end up together every reincarnation, right? Like, imagine an incarnation where Alve hates Noro, because Noro is trying to keep him too close but you know Alve, he’d hate that—”

“GOOD!” Link nods excitedly. “GOOD IDEA. YOU WRITE?”

Revali winces. “Yes,” he says slowly.

Link looks at him, head tilted. “BAD QUESTION?”

“Sort of. Sensitive subject, let’s just say,” Revali says, shifting uncomfortably. 

“OKAY.” Link bites his lip, then signs, “YOU B-E-T-A?”

“I have before.”

Suddenly looking very uncertain, Link signs, “FOR ME?”

“You want me to beta for you?” Revali asks, heart lighting up in joy before he remembers that this is supposed to be his rival, and he has writing of his own to do—

But then Link is shrinking again, signing “NEVER-MIND”, and instead of making him pleased, it just makes Revali want to hug him. 

(Wait, what?)

“I’ll do it,” he says before he can think about it too hard.

Link peeks at him hopefully. “REALLY?” 

“Yeah, but only because you have so many typos,” Revali says, running his hands through his hair nervously. “You clearly need someone.”

Link laughs, and the sound is clear and bright, and then he signs, “SOUND LIKE B-I-R-D-I-E.”

Revali’s heart freezes. “Yeah,” he says, hating himself for all of this. “I get that a lot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know asl, but i tried mimicking the grammar structure for once, so hopefully it's not too inaccurate? you can let me know if you see something i need to change :)
> 
> (also link is fingerspelling some things that have words already bc he knows revali won't know them from two years of classes)
> 
> this is all incredibly unrealistic but whatever


	3. In Which Revali Cements His Bad Decisions

He’s working on his next chapter that night when he gets a text. He startles for a moment before remembering that he had given his number out earlier that day. 

Sure enough, the text reads, “hey! this is link! u kno, your fanfiction idol :P”

“Has anyone ever complimented you on your stunning degree of modesty?” he responds dryly.

“i was JOKING actually thanks”

“I wasn’t. Anyway, what do you need? Working on a chapter?”

“yeah. actually i sort of…ok can i make a confession”

“Yeah?”

“i’m really tempted to start this new fic rn and i mean…ppl will hate me but i also sorta want to end the current one”

“You want to end ATOTN?” 

“hah like i said i know people will be angry”

“I’m not angry, just surprised. You seemed like you were ramping up to a new arc on the most recent chapter is all”

“i mean…it seemed like what people wanted? and i want to make people happy but…i just don’t know if i can do it anymore tbh”

“Then don’t. Who gives a crap? If they give you a hard time for doing what you want they suck anyway.”

Link sends a selfie of him with an amused expression playing on his face, eyebrows raised. Revali thoroughly ignores how his heart flutters slightly at the image. “gosh revali is this you being considerate” 

“Of course not. This is me being practical. If you burn yourself out writing crap you’re not interested in then I won’t get to read your fic anymore.”

“lol i guess that’s one way to look at it”

There’s a slight pause, then, “birdie’s gonna give me hell for this”

Revali blanches at the screen. “What makes you say that?”

“apart from how he does so for literally everything? he hates my plots, and if i wind up atotn rn then there’ll be a few holes, and i know for a fact he’ll pounce on that right away”

Revali bites his lip, looking away from his phone. Link…is probably right. While Revali understands Link’s reasoning, the person he plays online wouldn’t care. Birdistheword is merciless.

“Maybe he’ll surprise you”

“? lol what? birdie is many things but surprising is none of them. that guy is the most predictable kind of douchebag”

Revali’s heart sinks. He knew that’s what Link thought of him, all Link will ever think of him, but he had sort of hoped in the back of his mind that maybe…

“which sucks because dude has amazing plotlines, you know? if he were less of a jerk i’d love to talk fic and fandom with him. but alas lol”

Revali blinks, a smile creeping on his face. “You read his stuff?”

“well yeah? i’m not gonna pass up on that sweet, sweet alvoro content, even if the author hates me. and like i said he’s p good if you can get past his gigantic ego and inconsistent characterization. but anyway”

Revali should probably be offended at the slights on his writing and personality, but they’re true, for one, and for two, he’s mostly just ridiculously pleased that Link reads his work.

He still has a ridiculous smile on when Link continues, “i actually may or may not already have a first chapter written for the new one so uh if u wanna give me feedback that’d be awesome? but only if u have time and want to and all”

Revali looks at his unfinished chapter, saves it, and minimizes the window. “I’m all yours. Lay it on me.”

Link sends him a Google Docs link, and Revali clicks eagerly before panicking as the page loads, because he’s not completely certain whether he’s signed into his personal email, which is the same as his tumblr and AO3 username, or his professional email, which is just his full name. He heaves a sigh of relief when it turns out to be the latter, but he’ll have to be careful in the future. 

Revali has a very specific editing process. He scans the entire chapter for obvious grammatical and spelling errors in the first pass, then reads in-depth to make comments on the actual content, then does a third scan to make sure everything flows properly and fits in context with other chapters, if there are any. He’s always done this, never deviated. He can barely stop himself from starting out with an in-depth reading from the get-go, though. There’s always been something about TMK’s writing that draws him in.

He changes the few typos outright, notes awkward wording and confusing syntax with the comment function, then dives in for his second pass.

He knows Link must be watching his cursor as he works through the chapter slowly, if only because he does the exact same thing. It’s only about a thousand words, which is TMK’s normal chapter length, but he wants to take his time with it, savor it like it deserves.

He finally comments at the end, “I think this might end up being your best work yet”

Link adds to the comment thread with a simple “:D”, and Revali goes back through once more, inserts another comment about an offhanded phrase that could lead to a bit of a plot hole if left unaddressed, then exits out of the page and brings his own chapter up again with a frown. 

Somehow, it doesn’t seem quite as perfect as it did before.

Idly, he texts Link, “How do you manage to get your characters so real? I can never quite manage it.”

There’s a pause, then three dots pop up, indicating that Link is typing. “lol well…i don’t really think i’m all that great at characterization, not as much as people say anyway. honestly every character i write is just me”

Revali scowls at Link rebuffing the compliment—is he trying to do modest now? It doesn’t suit him—but responds, “How so?”

“like, i just find canonical character traits that i relate to personally and then inflate that so that i can basically write myself doing everything the characters are doing. so when people tell me that i write alve and noro well, i don’t really know what they’re talking about, bc they’re just like…me? like you know how birdie is always saying that i write alve super insecure when canonically we only ever see him as being incredibly confident”

“Yes?”

“well that’s cause i’m very insecure myself and i know that every time i act confident it’s just a carefully constructed veneer, and i have no idea how to write someone who is /actually/ confident, so i just…do what i know, which is Straight-Up Hating Myself”

Ah. So not false modesty, then. He really does think he’s not good. Revali doesn’t know how to react to that. Finally, he types, “I mean, this probably doesn’t mean much coming from someone who just met you today, but I think it’s more than that. Even if your characterization is inspired by tiny parts of you, the end result is something distinctly recognizable as the characters you’re writing. That takes talent.”

Another pause, then, “thanks. that’s kind of you to say”

He’s responded to enough compliments that way to know what it probably means—Link thinks he’s being nice, but doesn’t actually believe him.

“You don’t have to believe me right now. I’ll just have to keep at it until you do :)” Revali types quickly, before he can change his mind.

“was that…was that a SMILEY FACE”

“Yes, and shut up.”

“new goal in life: get u to use more emoticons”

“New goal in life: to never use an emoticon again”

“i’ll win tho. nobody can resist my incredibly infectious nature :P”

Link doesn’t know how right he is. Revali shakes his head and texts, “I’m vaccinated, thanks.” 

“ouch ok. goal still stands. and Revali?”

“What”

“if u ever want help with something you’re writing, characterization or whatever else, i’m always here!”

Revali stares at the screen, then clicks off his phone and goes back to writing, subdued. It’s a nice sentiment, but Revali knows that Link would never stay if he knew who Revali really was. Why would he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i haven't been writing much it's been a bit of a rough time
> 
> link's character 'technique' is the same as mine. all my characters are me in different-colored hats which is why they're so frequently and horribly ooc


	4. In Which Revali Thinks Some Things Through

Revali posts his finished chapter, but his mind is elsewhere. Now that Link had planted the idea of starting a new fic in his head, the idea is sounding increasingly attractive. He can’t end his current one, exactly—he’s still got some plotlines left to wrap up—but he could split his time, right?

The question is what he’d write about. Sure, he has a running list of ideas, but looking over them, none of them seem quite right.  He taps his finger against his leg. If he’s going to compete against Link, he needs something…better. He needs something that can allow him to work on his characterization. 

Link writes all his characters as himself, right? What if he just took that to its logical extreme and wrote something based off his own life? While he may not know how he personally would react to being a superhero or a wizard or whatever else, he knows perfectly how he’d react to the story of his life, because he’s already _lived_ it. Sure, he’ll have to change a few details, but that’s manageable.

He writes out a few ideas to explore later, then refreshes the Alve/Noro tag on AO3. To his surprise and hurt, the last chapter of TMK’s previous fic has been posted. Without Link asking him to look over it. It only has three views or so, too, so it must have been quite recent.

He clicks it open dutifully, texting Link, “I see you posted the last chapter”, which he hopes is neutral enough.

Link responds, “yeah! sorry i would’ve asked you to check it but i figured two chapters in one night was a bit much,,, plus then it’d be a surprise! i was actually just going to text you to let you know it was up but you beat me to the punch :)”

That makes him feel a bit better. “Okay. Reading now, so don’t disturb me.”

He turns off his phone without waiting for an answer, though one already came if the buzz of the phone against his wood desk is any indication. The chapter is longer than TMK’s usual, about the length of one of Revali’s chapters, which is good. The ending is saccharine sweet, like always, and it leaves Revali smiling quietly at the screen.

He pulls up Tumblr almost mechanically to write his review—while it was sweet and a very fitting end, it was incredibly short and left a lot of things unresolved—but he pauses. Isn’t that exactly what TMK expects from him? “Predictable” echoes in his mind, and he frowns. That’s not what he wants to be.

Plus, it’s not like he keeps this up for any reason other than habit and pure spite. He was mad because TMK didn’t react like he wanted, and…if he’s being honest with himself, didn’t he just sort of want TMK’s attention? He never got it, not really, not through this silly feud, anyway. Link only ended up noticing him when he _wasn’t_ his online persona. He’s gotten what he wanted, right? So what’s the point?

Plus, and this is important, if he keeps this up, he’ll be critiquing chapters he’s gone through, and that just reflects back on him for not being able to catch big mistakes. Biting his lip, he makes his decision. 

**birdistheword**

I just finished the last chapter of @themasterknight’s A Time Other Than Now _,_ and while it was by no means perfect, I am satisfied.

This may surprise some of you who are familiar with me and my reviews of TMK’s work. I rarely have positive things to say about him. Whether that changes or not remains to be seen, but from now on I’ve decided to keep any opinions about his writing private. I’d like to think I’m a big enough person to admit when I’ve been wrong, and so I will say it now: I was wrong to publicize my opinions about him in the first place, and wrong to continue doing so these past few months. Negativity about fic is unnecessary at best and cruel at worst, and I don’t want to set that kind of example anymore.

I am grateful for the effort of any and all authors and artists that do work for my favorite pairing, and from this point that is about all I will say if asked about TMK.

One parting sally, though, because I hope not to be cruel but I will readily admit that I am petty: the guy really does take too many selfies. I don’t care how attractive you are, there’s a limit to how many selfies you can post in a day without going from charming to exasperating.

#themasterknight #my opinions

He posts it, then sighs and opens his phone. Link had indeed responded, saying, “lol ok your highness”, and then a few minutes later, “was it ok btw? i’m a bit worried tbh”, and then a few minutes after _that,_ “?”

Revali, feeling suddenly very exhausted, types, “It was amazing, as always. You have nothing to worry about.”

He wonders as he falls asleep whether the same is true for him.

 

* * *

 

When he wakes up, he has an abundance of things to parse.

First of all, his text notifications. They’re all from Link, and they read:

“thanks!!” (There are three heart emojis after that, the pink one with the sparkles.)

“whoa wait are you awake”

“birdie just posted his chapter review and he’s…going to stop?”

“and he almost apologized?”

“and he called me attractive but i’m going to guess that was an accident lol” (Revali winces at that one. That was indeed an unintentional reading.)

“anyway guessing you’re asleep but dang. idek what to say to all of that so i think i’m gonna sleep on it too”

Next, his emails. He has at least fifteen emails from Tumblr alerting him to his new followers. With some trepidation, he goes to Tumblr and checks the notes on the post.

There’s a lot of likes, but what he’s interested in is the people who have something to say. Scanning through it, he’s not really certain how to feel. It ranges from comments like “what is this character development” and “birdistheword redemption arc” to “did someone hack his account?” to “does he think he can just get away with how he acted towards tmk with this?”

With even more trepidation, he clicks into his message inbox. There are probably some people saying congratulations, but his eyes are immediately drawn to the longest message. 

“what did you finally realize how much people hate you? well i hate to break it to you but that’s not going to stop just because you say you were wrong. people hate you because you’re a genuinely hateful person, and no apology can change that. you’ve only gotten away with all of this for this long because nobody knows who you are, but what happens when we find out? what do you do when we know who you really are?”

He stares at the message, eyes wide and teeth clenched. _Delete it,_ the rational part of him urges. _Delete it and move on._  

He doesn’t delete it. He navigates away from the page and gets ready for work, the message burning like a poison at the back of his mind.

(It would be one thing if they were wrong, but they’re not.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is incredibly discombobulated sorry;; just how it came out this time i guess
> 
> sorry also for the sporadic updates. i'm doing slightly better but writing is still difficult
> 
> it's maybe a bit soon for him to get to this point, but i couldn't get past the fact that if he kept up the reviews that he'd be critiquing his own skills as a beta lol. so it had to end
> 
> anyway i have the rest of this story loosely planned so hopefully it'll turn out ok!


	5. In Which Revali and Link Get To Know Each Other

When he gets home from work that day, finally calmed down a bit, he scrolls through his notifications to find that TMK has given his official response.

“wow this was a real surprise to wake up to!” it reads. “i appreciate that it must have taken a lot for you to admit you were wrong, and hopefully our relationship can improve from now on. also, guys, reminder that no matter what someone has done it’s never okay to harass them, and in the grand scheme of things birdie wasn’t even that bad? so stop being rude to him ok. he apologized, sort of, it’s done now.

P.S. i take precisely the right amount of selfies and i am charming as heck”

He also, when he turns on his phone, has a few texts from Link.

“did you see my response to birdie? was it ok like…i still don’t really know what 2 make of it but i didn't want to be rude or perpetuate the hate or anything yanno?”

He rereads the response with the clinical eye of a beta, then responds, “It was fine. You were firm but polite.”

As the person the message is meant for, though, he can’t help but feel a bit ashamed, like he should have actually apologized properly. But…it’s fine. Birdistheword is always probably going to end up being the villain in this story, but Revali doesn’t have to be.

 _You do realize you are the same person,_ the rational part of him points out. He brushes the thought aside.

 Link texts him back an hour later, after Revali had finished making dinner for himself. “good! i’m glad. anyway i’m about to post the first chapter of the new fic, but i wanted to know how you wanted to be credited? do you have an ao3 or tumblr account you want me to link to or anything :o”

 Revali blinks at his phone, vaguely horrified. He hadn’t really thought of that at all. “No, that’s fine. You don’t need to say anything about it.”

He had sort of hoped that would end the discussion, but he knew it probably wouldn’t. “i’m not just going to not credit you lol”

“Fine. I guess you can just use my name?” 

“kk! look for it in the next few minutes then~”

“Okay.”

True to his words, in about five minutes, the new posting is up.

An Always Spent With You

themasterknight

Summary:

Noro is immortal, and he only wants one thing: for Alve to love him.

Unfortunately, Alve isn’t immortal, and while he reincarnates every hundred years, he doesn’t always love Noro back.

Notes:

i’m really excited for this one to get started! it’s an idea i’ve been working on for a while and i think it’ll be a lot of fun, so hopefully you all have as much fun as i do with it! :) also thanks to my new beta revali for going through this with me, i really appreciate all your help!!

(See the end of the work for more notes.) 

Revali reads the chapter another time, swelling with a kind of pride. It’s good, and he helped make it that way, even if only a little.

He texts Link a congratulations, at which Link sends a rolling-eyes emoji and says he doesn’t even know what people are going to think yet. Revali says that people are going to love it and not to be ridiculous. They continue texting for a while longer—Revali knows it’s probably just because Link is nervous and wants to be distracted, but he’s okay with that—during which he asks Link about his classes and Link, for lack of something better to ask about, asks Revali about the library.

Revali learns that Link is in his junior year of the nearby state college studying elementary education. He was considering majoring in English, but after taking a writing class he realized he didn’t really want to do it professionally. “and i like kids a lot,” he adds, “so it all worked out anyway.”

Link learns that Revali has been working at the library ever since he graduated two years ago. His degree is in psychology, but when Link inquires why he didn’t go further in it, Revali changes the subject.

(It’s because he can’t deal with other people and he can’t deal with his own problems either, but they’ve only known each other for a few days, so he’s not going to say it.)

He’s happy to talk about the library, though. “I grew up in this town,” he texts Link, “and I used to spend all my time here. Nothing can touch you when you’re in a library. It’s just you and the words of thousands of people who want to tell you a story, and all they ask is that you listen. The real world isn’t like that.”

Link takes a while to respond to that, and Revali squirms the entire time, wondering if he’s revealed too much. When he finally texts back, it just says, “you have a way with words. now i want to go back lol :)” 

“Well, it’s always there if you do.”

“and you?”

“Pardon?”

“will you be there if i go back? :P”

Revali chews on his lip. Does Link not want to see him? Hesitantly, he types, “Well, it’s my job, so yeah.”

“then i’m sold lol! i could do a lot worse than being surrounded by books and a friend :)”

Oh. A smile blossoms on Revali’s face, and he ducks his head like someone is around to see it and yell at him for being pleased. It’s not often he’s called a friend. 

 _He’s far nicer than you deserve,_ whispers something nasty at the back of his head, and he sighs, shaking his head as if it will dislodge the thought. It’s true, but he’s too greedy not to take advantage of Link’s kindness.

He looks back down at the phone screen and sends Link a grinning face. Link is going to bring up the emoticon thing again, but it’s worth it to imagine him smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i'm gonna focus on this fic for a bit. hopefully i can get one of my open fics out of the way that way? we'll see how things turn out though idk


	6. In Which People Worry About Revali

**enemies2friends2lovers**

**is birdie okay?**

ok hear me out here. first off, he writes a post saying he’s going to stop harassing tmk, which, cool, but incredibly ooc for a guy so dedicated to a (probably one-sided, see compilation post of tmk’s responses here) feud. there were already a lot of people that were p blown away by that, including tmk himself, but it’s not all that big a deal by itself.

but. BUT. then yesterday he posted the first chapter to a new fic (link here if you haven’t read it, which you should). i’ll copy the summary:

“Alve is six years old when he meets Noro. He’s a bright spot in an otherwise dim world—one in which his parents never wanted him, in which the other kids bully him, in which all he has is his grandfather, the local library, and the stories he writes. There’s only one problem:

Noro isn’t real.”

the author notes don’t provide much explanation other than that this is a story that he’s been “thinking about for a while” and that he will be splitting his time between this and his other open fic. but the story itself is what’s worrisome—it’s a huge departure from his other fics in that it’s a human AU, but also in that this story is waaaay more introspective than his other stories. i don’t want to give away the plot of the first chapter for those of you who haven’t read it, but i will say that it’s a lot more realistic than what he usually writes, and maybe more personal? so much so, in fact, that i’m going to speculate that this story is based at least partially off his own life.

so, back to the original question: is birdie okay? it’s not like him to say he was wrong, and it’s not like him to get personal in his fic, especially the kind of personal that reveals (assuming i’m right) that he was abandoned by his parents and bullied as a kid. and i mean, maybe this is a good sign and he’s becoming a more open, honest person, but on the other hand, maybe it’s a cry for help? just something to think about, and maybe to keep an eye on

#birdie bs #discourse #maybe? lol idk #bullying mention #parental abandonment mention

* * *

Revali stares at the post, and for once, he has no idea how his online persona would respond. Would birdistheword deny it all? Ignore it? Would he get mad?

He feels the panic rising in his chest and does his best to push it down. He just has to think logically. Somebody tagged him in the post, so he can’t ignore it. He probably shouldn’t get mad at someone who meant well, right? But he also probably shouldn’t confirm the bit about it being based on his own life, because that might seem like he wants attention—or worse, pity. _That’s not why you posted it,_ he tells himself, and tries to make himself believe it. _You didn’t do it because you wanted—_

Curling up into himself, he closes his eyes and clenches his fists, unclenches them, clenches them again in an off-beat rhythm. _You’re better than this now,_ he says. _You’re better than them._ His nails dig into his palm, and the pain centers him. 

When he’s calmed down, he dashes out a quick response without letting himself think too hard about it. He has to get to work anyway.

“I appreciate all of you guys’ concern, but I’m doing just fine. There have been a few changes in my life recently, and I wanted to reflect that both in my conduct and my writing. Hopefully that’s for the better, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.”

He walks to work—he purposely got an apartment close to the library for that exact purpose—and settles in for a long day of shelving.

About four hours in, at about noon, Harth pokes Revali harshly and notifies him that “the ASL customer” is back.

Revali goes to the front, and sure enough, there Link is. He’s smiling hopefully. “YOU EAT?”

Revali raises an eyebrow. “Generally speaking, yes.” 

Link rolls his eyes, but he’s still smiling. “RUDE. WITH ME, I MEAN.”

Revali pulls out his phone to check the time. It’s close enough to his lunch break. “Sure. Let me just tell Harth.”

He notifies Harth accordingly, and he and Link leave together.

“Did you have someplace in mind?” Revali asks.

“AREA DON’T-KNOW,” Link signs, looking slightly bashful.

Revali sighs. “Luckily, I do. There’s a place fairly close by that does breakfast all day.”

Link visibly brightens, his eyes shining. “I LOVE BREAKFAST.”

“I know. You only post about it all the time,” Revali says dryly. “Anyway, I only have 45 minutes, so let’s get going.”

When Revali looks over at Link again, he’s grinning delightedly. “YOU F-A-N.”

Revali makes a face at him. “I’m just observant.” Particularly when it comes to Link, but he doesn’t say that.

Link is clearly still pleased, though, and he chatters all the way to the restaurant and all the way until they get their food, at which point he digs in with an expression bordering on reverent.

Revali watches him, amused, and asks, “Do they not feed you?”

Link sends him a withering look, somewhat dampened by the fact that his cheeks are puffed out with food.

“Just kidding. I know what college is like.” Revali stirs his ice water idly. “I ate a lot of rice, personally.”

“R-I-C-E GOOD,” Link signs, nodding emphatically. “ESPECIALLY WITH C-H-I-C-K-F-I-L-A SAUCE.”

Revali stares at him, eyes wide and unhappy.

“DELICIOUS,” Link adds, grin back on his face. “YUM-YUM.”

“You’re a monster,” Revali accuses. “Inhuman.”

Link shrugs. “REALLY GOOD, THOUGH. CHEAP.”

They finish up their meal. When the waiter comes back, Revali insists on paying. “I’m the one with a job here,” he admonishes, “and anyway, it’s only polite.” Link protests, of course, with a very odd expression on his face, but Revali wins in the end.

It’s strangely silent when they walk back to the library, until Link taps Revali on the shoulder, still with that same odd expression, and signs, “YOU KNOW…NOT DATE, YES?”

Revali balks. “Why on earth would you think I thought any differently?”

“YOU PAY.”

“Because you’re a broke college student and I have a job and you’re my _friend_!” Revali squawks, crossing his arms irritably. “Goddess, is that not _allowed?!”_

The pinched look Link has been wearing relaxes, and he exhales before smiling. “SORRY.”

“You should be,” Revali mutters, running his hands through his hair. “I don't know why I bother attempting to be nice.”

Link rests his hand on Revali’s arm this time, until Revali finally relents and looks at him. “NOT JUST ATTEMPT,” he signs slowly. “YOU NICE.”

Revali thinks back on the ask still sitting in his Tumblr inbox, and he thinks about how he’s treated this boy next to him, and his heart hurts. “No,” he murmurs. “No, I’m really not.”

Link doesn’t stop him when he walks back into the library alone, and that hurts too, but it’s also probably for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rice with chickfila sauce is the best and nobody can tell me otherwise
> 
> sorry for any bad asl grammar, i've been researching the best i can but it's a bit difficult;;


	7. In Which Revali Reminisces, Or, Regarding The Bird Statue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw for mention of bullying and parental abandonment

_“This is a bird statue, and it’s super special, my grandpa says, because it’s from my parents.” Carefully he passes the sculpture to his left, a small ceramic reproduction of a blue bird._

_“Why would that be special?” someone asks. He wishes he could say he never bothered to learn their name, wishes he could say that he was above all this. It’s not true, though. He had memorized everyone’s names on the first day, carefully attaching names to the faces, hoping he might make a friend of one of them at least._

_“Because they’re gone now,” Alve says, blinking. “So it’s a—membrance, Grandpa says. It shows they love me.”_

_“If they love you why are they gone?” another kid asks, face twisting in a way that Alve won’t be able to recognize until he’s older. (By then he won’t remember, though.) “I bet you just brought this so we’d feel sorry, right?” He takes a look at the statue, turning it around in his hands, then throws it to the ground. “Well, I don’t.” Alve can only watch in horror as it shatters into pieces._

_“No,” he cries, and the teacher leaps forward to admonish the child—Kaos, his name was—but the damage is done, and the bird is broken._

_Alve thinks he might be broken a little too, and maybe in more ways than one._

 

* * *

“hey are u off ur shift now? didn’t know when it was done”

“Yeah, I have been for a while. They let me off early.” Revali sets down his phone to look at the finished chapter. It’s a little bit hard to write for him—a bit hard to remember all of this, a bit hard to write impartially. He almost slipped up and wrote his own name once, even. But it’s also refreshing, in a way, getting to talk about everything that’s happened to him.

After he posts the chapter, his phone buzzes again, and he sighs with something that might seem like irritation to someone who knew him less well than he does himself. He picks up the phone again and looks at the screen. 

“good :) i didn’t want to bother u but i did want to ask if u were ok?”

“Of course,” he types, “why would you ask?” before realizing that he did sort of slink off earlier. He corrects himself, “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something, is all.”

While waiting for the next text to come in, Revali looks thoughtfully at the bird sculpture on his desk. He had waffled on using it in the story, but Alve was a vaguely humanoid bird in canon, so he figured it could be a subtle nod, and not one that they could connect to Revali-the-person. It’s not like this was a detail he let on about to people, after all. It was something deeply personal.

(After the kid had broken the bird, Grandpa had brought home a new one with a strained smile that seemed to tell Revali not to ask questions. He had thought it was magic, that Grandpa was a wizard, that all the stories he read were true.

He had thought maybe it was a sign his parents would come back as well.

It wasn’t until he grew up, until he had spent years researching birds trying to figure out what his parents were trying to tell him, until he was old enough to walk alone in the city, that he saw the display case full of ceramic birds just like his in some tacky souvenir shop.

When he had confronted his grandpa about it, he had said with that same strained smile that when his parents had dropped off Revali to live with him that Revali had been inconsolable until they went on a walk and Revali saw the birds in the window. Revali, then two, had had such a awestruck look in his eyes that he knew he had to get one for him.

“I’m sorry for lying,” he had said, tearing up. “I just wanted you to believe they cared.”

Revali had nearly thrown away that bird a hundred times after that, but each time he would remember the look on his grandpa’s face, and he would remember that he might not have been loved by his parents, but he was definitely loved by someone. And now that his grandfather was gone, it was all he had left of that kind of love other than his memories. So he kept it, and whenever he felt particularly bad, he would lie in bed curled up in blankets and cradle the bird in his hands.

He had lied to Link, too. He had left the library claiming sickness right after going in and immediately gone home to lay, silent and shaking, holding the bird and humming the melody to a oft-sung lullaby, another present from his grandfather. But he _definitely_ wasn’t going to tell Link that.)

“want to talk about it w someone?” Link texts, rousing him from his thoughts.

“It’s not really something I can talk about” Revali types hesitantly, then, “Thank you, though.”

“okay” Link sends after a while. “i really am sorry about thinking you were like…hitting on me or w/e earlier btw. that was kinda rotten of me”

“No, it’s fine. I’d like to think if I were hitting on someone, though, that it would be marginally more clear than me paying for a meal.”

“lol noted! when revali seduces someone he goes all out! flowers, chocolates”

“I didn’t say that.”

“jewelry, declarations of undying love, poetry” 

“No.”

“helicopter rides over the city, renting out camels imported from wherever it is that camels live, dramatic love confessions yelled out into the canyons”

“You are patently ridiculous.”

“at the end of the first date he whips out a wedding ring with…so many carats (idk how many carats is a lot but revali, he knows and he’s just drowning in carats)”

“Are you done yet?”

“lol sure. you do realize you were like a slight wording away from being a complete cliché though? ‘when i hit on you U’LL KNO IT’”

“Ugh, fair, and I hate you for pointing that out. I wouldn’t do it intentionally, I swear“

“lol if you had it would’ve been fine though. i adore clichés, unironically, wholly, completely,”

“I am aware of that. Your writing is full of them” 

“HAH u attempted to roast me but it was ineffectual bc i know that and i am PROUD”

“Not an attempted roast, just a fact. And anyway, some clichés aren’t bad, I agree. For example…”

They spend the rest of the night talking their favorite romance tropes, trading jabs and just in general being silly together, and for once Revali doesn’t look at the bird statue at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't know how to end a chapter? just write banter, u piece of crap,
> 
> anyway sorry i havent rly been keeping up my one chapter a week agreement but. lol we'll see how things work out from now on


	8. In Which Revali is Invited to a Group Chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> capslock warning

#we-r-the-champions | study group for palfriendos, aka whine 2gether die 2gether 

 **Urbosa** Today at 1:31 AM

Are you sure about this, Link? You’ve only known him for a month, right?

 **miphmiph** Today at 1:32 AM

yeah :( I know this is a safe space for you, and if this guy ends up not being…safe, then…

 **tmk** Today at 1:32 AM

he’s plenty safe, and he’s my friend?? i want you guys to get to know him also is all :(

 **DARUK** Today at 1:34 AM

WE’RE JUST TRYING TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU!!! 

 **Sidon :)** Today at 1:34 AM

((Really, Daruk, you need to get that caps lock button fixed. It’s been weeks. (,,꒪꒫꒪,,)))

 **DARUK** Today at 1:36 AM

I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY AND YOU KNOW THAT, CONSIDERING YOU’RE THE ONE WHO TROUNCED ME IN POKER THE OTHER WEEK 

 **miphmiph** Today at 1:37 AM

……………Sidon. :)

 **Sidon :)** Today at 1:37 AM

Daruk you said you wouldn’t tell!!

 **miphmiph** Today at 1:39 AM

Didn’t you promise me that you’d stop playing poker. :) :) :) 

 **Sidon :(** Today at 1:41 AM

…yes :(

 **leldazelda** Today at 1:45 AM

((Link, if you want to invite him, that’s fine by me. Just be careful, okay?))

 **tmk** Today at 1:45 AM

((i will, i will))

 

* * *

 

Revali looks at Link’s most recent text with a mixture of disbelief, bemusement, and—though he isn’t going to admit it—a small, creeping kind of happiness.

“hey revali! i’ve been meaning to ask for a bit, but would you maybe like to join a discord for me and my friends? we mostly just mess around, but it might be fun! only if u want 2 tho”

Revali has written enough anxiety-ridden texts to know when he’s looking at one, which means that Link is nervous about asking and also that he’ll be sad if Revali says no. But he doesn’t understand why Link would even ask him. Link is, admittedly, Revali’s only real friend, but he had sort of thought Link considered him, like…a low-level friend, or something. Nobody’s ever thought he was worth adding to a group chat before, much less a super-secret chat for the elusive TMK’s friends.

But he’s not just TMK, Revali reminds himself slowly. He’s Link, who’s always been capable of surprising him, and who is almost always nicer than Revali gives him credit for.

 _And you’re Revali, who doesn’t deserve a fraction of what he’s giving you,_ the erstwhile nasty voice in the back of his head reminds him. He shakes it off and purses his lips in thought. He can’t just say _no_. It’d hurt Link’s feelings, for one, and for another, Revali is starting to realize he can’t really deny Link anything.

(Revali is, for the record, choosing not to look too far into that sentiment.)

He texts back, “Sure. How do I get on it? I’ve never really…done this before.”

“lol i could make so many jokes with that but i won’t. i just send u a link, hang on a mo while i find it”

“Good, because I would have downgraded you from someone who makes mediocre jokes to someone who makes terrible ones.”

“goodness that would have been a first for me ;)”

“…………Why do I talk to you, ever.”

“bc i’m incredibly charming, suave, and make the best jokes”

“That is just patently untrue on all fronts.”

“you wound me”

“Just send the link, Prince Charming.”

“definitely screenshotting that sentence out of context and adding it to my growing list of evidence that you’re a little bit in love w me”

Before Revali can respond with something disparaging, Link sends him the link. Revali clicks on it, makes an account as directed, and the page opens onto a gray chatroom. He scrolls up a bit so that he has context for their conversation.

 

* * *

 

#we-r-the-champions | study group for palfriendos, aka whine 2gether die 2gether

 **Urbosa** Today at 7:54 PM

I say this because I love you: stop being a wimp and send the link, Link.  

(Revali puts a hand over his mouth to hide his smile, even though there’s nobody around to see it anyway.)

 **tmk** Today at 7:59 PM

ugh fine sent but if he says no i am blaming u

 **Urbosa** Today at 8:00 PM

I am perfectly fine with that if it gets you to stop complaining. 

 **tmk** Today at 8:05 PM

he’s read but he’s not responding?

how dare

 **leldazelda** Today at 8:05 PM

It’ll be fine, Link. Breathe.

 **tmk** Today at 8:07 PM

!! he said yes! quick guys spam chat so he doesn't see this

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:08 PM

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

Σ(゜゜)

 **tmk** Today at 8:09 PM 

sidon thx but that just looks incredibly suspicious

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:09 PM

(　´_ﾉ` );;;

 **Revali** Today at 8:11 PM

Hello, everyone. I’m Revali. I beta for Link.

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:11 PM

!! Welcome! ヾ(＾∇＾)

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:11 PM

welcome, Revali!

 **leldazelda** Today at 8:11 PM

Nice to finally meet you :)

 **Urbosa** Today at 8:12 PM

Welcome.

 **DARUK** Today at 8:13 PM

LOL SO FORMAL

(Revali looks away from the computer screen at that. Has he already made a bad impression?)

 **tmk** Today at 8:13 PM

be nice daruk at least his caps lock key is functional lol

anyway revali that guy is daruk, he’s super strong irl and super smart (geology phd, btw) but he has big fingers so it takes him a while to type. also hes not yellin his capslock key is just broken

urbosa (meteorology-climatology masters) is rly tall and kind of scary but she totally does it just to mess w ppl

 **Urbosa** Today at 8:14 PM

Keep telling yourself that.

 **tmk** Today at 8:15 PM

lol yikes. anyway, still goin in order, leldazelda is my roommate and bff zelda, she’s double majoring in mechanical engineering and ancient history and she’s basically the best 

 **leldazelda** Today at 8:15 PM

♥

 **tmk** Today at 8:16 PM

miphmiph is mipha, she’s pre-med and super sweet! and she’s sidon’s older sister, he’s pol sci and also ridiculously tall, like, he towers over me. also, they both have excellent hair, it’s auburn and super shiny and i just want to run my hands thru it all the time 

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:17 PM

All you have to do is ask ;) 

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:17 PM

if you’re going to flirt with Link at least don’t do it in front of me, goodness

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:18 PM                     

I’m not flirting! Much.

(Revali frowns a bit at that.)

 **tmk** Today at 8:18 PM

yeaaahhh he’s totally just like that? he’ll probably hit on u2 revali don't let it get 2u

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:20 PM

Hah. Yeah. 

 **Revali** Today at 8:20 PM

Nice to meet you all. As previously mentioned, I’m Revali. I graduated 2 years ago in Psychology and now I work at the library. I like reading. 

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:20 PM

Do you like reading Link’s writing?

 **Revali** Today at 8:21 PM

Why would I beta for him if I didn’t?

 **tmk** Today at 8:22 PM

don’t rave about me too much darling

 **Revali** Today at 8:22 PM

What is there to rave about, dork?

 **tmk** Today at 8:22 PM

:’( you’ve changed so much since we got married

 **Revali** Today at 8:23 PM

We’re not married.

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:24 PM

you sound married lol

 **leldazelda** Today at 8:24 PM

You’re a little bit married.

 **tmk** Today at 8:25 PM

♥ ♥ ♥ stop trying to deny it, cupcake

 **Revali** Today at 8:26 PM

If I say we’re married, will you shut up?

 **tmk** Today at 8:27 PM

sure thing my sweet snowflake

 **Revali** Today at 8:27 PM

Fine. Congratulations to us.

 **tmk** Today at 8:28 PM

yay!!!!!

 **Revali** Today at 8:28 PM

Google search: How do I get unmarried  

 **tmk** Today at 8:29 PM 

use your nice words once in a while :(

 

Revali starts when the chat app lets out a chime, alerting him to a new message from…Sidon? Tilting his head, he clicks on the notification. It’s just a link and the words, “Click it.”

He does so, and a new chat opens up. 

#link-lovers | a commiseration group for people with hopeless crushes, past or present, on link

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i decided to end it there bc the chapter was getting long but i'll start where i left off next time


	9. In Which Revali Is Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw for online bullying/harassment, low self-esteem

#link-lovers | a commiseration group for people with hopeless crushes, past or present, on link

Revali stares, eyebrow twitching slightly, at the group description, then types, “No.” and sends it to the chat.

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:31 PM

Oh, please.

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:32 PM

you’re not being very subtle haha :)

 **Revali** Today at 8:32 PM

How do you leave a chat? This isn’t funny at all.

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:33 PM

We’re not trying to be funny（*・∧・*）?

 **Revali** Today at 8:34 PM

Then what is your goal here? I don’t have a crush on Link, past or present or future, here or in any other plane of reality. Whatever you’re trying to pull, I’m not taking any part in it.

I’ll make sure the door doesn’t hit me on the way out.

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:35 PM

…goodness (*´･o･)

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:36 PM

Wow. Either he’s really deep in denial or he honestly doesn’t know. ┐(´-｀)┌

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:37 PM 

guess so! either way, this is going to be interesting lol

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:37 PM

Definitely. Also, don’t think I missed that kaomoji. You pretend like you hate when I use them but you’re secretly a dork too, aren’t you?

 **miphmiph** Today at 8:38 PM

oh baby brother I am the best there is at kaomoji and always have been, but if you tell anyone I’ll absolutely deny it ( ๑‾̀◡‾́) ♥

 **Sidon :)** Today at 8:39 PM

Nooo (⌯˃̶᷄ ﹏ ˂̶᷄⌯)

 

* * *

 

Time passes in a blur of working at the library and revising for Link. In between those two things and writing his own fic, he doesn’t really have time to do much else, though he does drop in on the group chat every now and then. The others there mostly respond to him with the kind of cordiality that tends to be reserved for the friend of a friend you don’t really like but tolerate to make the original friend happy. That’s what he’s guessing is the case, anyway. He’d stop putting them through the pain, but it might make Link sad, and that thought is…uncomfortable.

Also among the things that Revali now classes as ‘uncomfortable’ is writing his old fic, because now that he’s had the chance to write a fic that’s personal to him, it’s easy to realize how lacking the other fic is. It’s all show and no substance, and in light of that, he’s starting to accept why TMK’s fics were better received.

It’s a bit harder to accept that while Revali has made every effort to give everything he has to the new fic—his time, his best writing, Goddess, his _life story—_ it’s not doing nearly as well as his older stories. He’d try to brush it off, but he’s never been good at that in the first place, and it’s hard not to take this in particular personally. The comments have steadily dropped off chapter by chapter, until he’s left with a single person who cares enough to say anything when he uploads a new segment.

Well, in the comments, anyway.

That specification is important, because Tumblr is a very different story, one filled with speculation about What’s Happened To Birdistheword or Does Birdistheword Need Help? or any other number of posts by users gathering evidence that the story is based off his own life and that he’s crying for help by talking about it. And those are the nice ones, comparatively. The rest insult a rather impressive array of things, from his personality to his writing to his existence. Revali doesn’t really know how to react to any of these things. Are they expecting he won’t see them? Do they want him to see them? Should he probably stop searching his tag on Tumblr in desperate hopes that he’ll find even one word of support?

(The answer to that question, for the record, is ‘probably’. He can acknowledge that, but he can’t bring himself to stop.)

The one bastion of hope in all of this is Link, who is precious and good and who Revali knows can’t last. He knows this, because good things have never happened to Revali—or they’ve never happened and _continued_ to happen, anyway. And sure, he can pretend like he won’t be thrown aside as soon as he’s no longer useful, which incidentally is a time fast approaching, because Revali is starting to find fewer and fewer errors in Link’s writing, and because Link’s new fic is more popular than ever and receives nothing but compliments. He can pretend like Link’s easy smiles and casual touches are because Link values his company and not because Link is just the kind of light who shines upon everyone.

Revali can also pretend with everything he has that his inability to stay away from Link regardless of how very much he _knows_ all of these things is because he craves that light and not because he should really be honest with himself and rejoin the dreaded #link-lovers. Because, sure, he longs to run his hands through Link’s hair, and to caress his cheek, and to kiss his—well, everything. He wants all of that, but he tells himself it means nothing, because if it meant something, then what would Revali become when the inevitable happens and the universe decides Revali doesn’t deserve Link anymore?

So, yeah. He doesn’t love Link, he doesn’t care that Link will leave, and he doesn’t mind the hours he spends after posting a chapter hoping that someone—anyone—will give him the validation he relies on to keep going.

Sighing, Revali checks his phone listlessly. It’s not going to do him any good to think about this, after all.

He’s browsing Tumblr, and very pointedly _not_ browsing his tag, when he gets a notification that he’s gotten a new message.

It says, “y do u bother writing ur crap fic anymore? nobody cares about your whining or your boring life. u should just give up, bc we know who you really are now and we don’t give a—”

“Artfully put,” he mutters out loud, headache pounding at the back of his eyes. He deletes it, but his eye catches on the message he’s kept in his inbox all this time, the one that he has nearly memorized by now.

_people hate you because you’re a genuinely hateful person—what happens when we find out—what do you do when we know who you really are_

He doesn’t know. He has no idea.

His phone buzzes, startling him from his thoughts. It’s Link, unsurprisingly. Nobody else much bothers talking to him.

“hey darling, sweetheart, love of my life”

Revali feels a pang somewhere deep in his heart at the casual words of love that aren’t real. “Hello. What do you want?” 

“ok ouch”

“Please, you wouldn’t lay it on that thick unless you were going to ask for something.”

“let me love you :(” 

“That would ruin my image. Seriously, though, what’s up?”

“nothing, just…you haven’t been very active on the chat recently, and when you’re betaing you seem kind of, like, terse? and when we met up the other day, you seemed kind of out of it. i was just wondering if smth was wrong…?”

“You worry a lot. It’s very sweet, but you don’t need to.”

“:/ you’re deflecting. you can talk to me, remember? i want to be there for you when you need someone, and…i mean, if i’m not that to you then i can deal with that, but only so long as you have someone else who is, and i really don’t think you do”

And Revali is tired, and sad, and _done,_ and Link is here but he won’t be for long, so Revali begins typing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sry this ended up taking so long and that it's so angsty lol. you can totally tell the first part of the chapter was written at a diff time from the rest of it and that i was in a v different mood between the two
> 
> please note the updated chapter count! i've decided to end this fic next chapter!


	10. In Which Revali Discloses Some Pertinent Information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol jk there's gonna be one last chapter. i'm awful at forecasting these things gomen
> 
> cw for self-hatred

“Okay, so, I don’t really like talking about this, but I kind of hate myself, and you had better not tell me I’m wrong or that I’m worth something or some crap like that, because if you do, this conversation is over. Anyway, the point is, my grandpa used to tell me that I couldn’t rely on my own opinion of myself, but I’ve never been able to believe anybody else because they don’t know me. The thing is, though, when someone comments on one of my pieces, when they like it, I’m able to forget all that for the smallest moment. I’m able to think that I might be talented, that my existence isn’t just a mistake, that…I don’t know. That I’m a normal person who doesn’t have to pretend all the time that they deserve to be here with everyone else. That I don’t have to pretend like I’m better in order to not reflect on how much worse I am.”

Revali waits for a moment to see if Link responds after that, but he doesn’t, which is good.

“So I write and I write and I write, because the only way I can feel worthwhile is by putting out enough content to get compliments every day, and I pretend and I pretend and…you get the point, this isn’t one of my stories so I’m not going to bother with this hammy parallel structure thing. It’s all just an act, everything is just acting _,_ and I get so tired of it. And then I meet you, and you’re genuine and real and people like you anyway, and _I_ like you anyway, and I just cling to you like some pathetic leech because being around you is like…if someone like you thinks I’m worth their time, maybe I can pretend even better that it’s true. But it’s not, Link. It only takes so long before you see how bad I really am, and you leave me, and I’m left with nothing but my crappy writing and the one person remaining who comments on my fic, and then they leave too, and I’m just nothing. I’m nothing at all.”

Revali wonders idly if a normal person might be crying by this point. He doesn’t feel remotely like crying. These are just the facts, and talking about it doesn’t make him sad any more than he might get sad while delivering a presentation or writing a book report. It’s actually a little refreshing to be done with it. 

“Anyway,” he types, brushing a strand of hair that's escaped from his braid back behind his ear with one hand, “it’s just been worse lately. There are many people who don’t like me, rightly so, and they’re…talkative. I’ll get over it. It’s not like they can say anything to me that I haven’t already thought about myself a thousand times worse. So, yeah.”

He clicks his phone shut, glad that Link let him rant without commenting. He’s almost surprised, therefore, when his phone starts buzzing again. 

“i don’t even know how to respond to all of that except for, like, what the crap”

Revali scowls, but his phone is still buzzing.

“i can’t believe you just delivered that entire speech like it was something i was just supposed to…quietly agree with? like?

frick you’re one of the most amazing people i’ve ever met and it is so incredibly wrong that you would think anything but

idk about talented because you refuse to let me read your writing (even though you’ve apparently posted it??????? which, again, what the crap???) but i’m sure you’re good at that too or at the very least not as bad as you’re making out yourself to be

i just want to take whoever made you feel this way and just…punch them in their face? i cannot believe how angry i am right now at the people who don’t appreciate you and at me for not letting you know how much i appreciate you and at YOU for NOT BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE WORTH THE ENTIRE WORLD?????????? TO SO MANY PEOPLE???

also, while i’m screaming, what the utter crap do you mean i’ll leave you?! i don’t know what the crap you’re on and where you have BEEN for all this time where i was doing my best to convince you that we’re friends and that i care about you!!!

so like…yeah i just don’t even have words rn. i’m just really mad and i do not understand how one person could be so incredibly wrong about so many things at once”

To top it off, he sends about 15 angry emojis, plus a rat that Revali is guessing he didn’t mean to put in there. 

Revali sighs and bangs his head softly on his table. He shouldn’t have said anything. “Link, as always, you’re very sweet, but you’re also wrong here. You don’t know who I really am, but I assure you I deserve every bit of hate aimed at me.”

“good GODDESS you piss me off” Link sends back a few seconds later. “if i quote unquote don’t know you, which incidentally is the biggest fricking cliché, then let me change that! you have no idea how desperately i want you to let me in. tell me who you are and i promise i’ll listen, but you have to TALK to me first” 

Revali stares down at his phone dully. Link doesn’t _understand._ And, he realizes slowly, he’s not going to unless Revali lets go of his biggest secret.

“Birdie” he types out, but he doesn’t send it for another ten minutes, during which he reconciles himself to the fact that this marks the end of their friendship.

When Link finally reads the text, he just responds, “huh?”

“Birdistheword. That’s who I am.”

Link gets the text and reads it, but he doesn’t respond for a while. When he does, the resulting text just reads “yeah right”

Revali frowns, but he supposes the disbelief is natural. He navigates back to his Tumblr, which is still open to that one message.

**birdistheword**

**anonymous** asked:

what did you finally realize how much people hate you? well i hate to break it to you but that’s not going to stop just because you say you were wrong. people hate you because you’re a genuinely hateful person, and no apology can change that. you’ve only gotten away with all of this for this long because nobody knows who you are, but what happens when we find out? what do you do when we know who you really are?

[a picture of a boy with blue braided hair and a post-it note in his hands reading “This is who I really am.”]

@themasterknight

Ask birdistheword a question #here’s me proving it #see? #I don’t deserve your sympathy or your caring or anything else for that matter #like how do you know I didn’t just help you just to take advantage of you? #how do you know anything about the me you know is real at all

He posts it, texts Link, “Check your Tumblr”, turns his phone off, and goes to sleep.

He’s so, so very tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dw there's a happy ending =v= i'm a wimp abt stuff like that
> 
> officially one left now tho
> 
> (revali's monologue is p much pulled straight from my internal monologue bc, again, as always, self-indulgence. plus it's easy)


	11. In Which Revali Learns and Lives and Loves

When he wakes up the next day to the blaring sound of his alarm clock, for a moment he almost forgets everything that happened last night. It doesn’t last long, though. The realization of how much he’s messed everything up hits him all at once, and he groans and turns over in his bed. Maybe he should just go back to sleep. 

But then he sees the bird figurine on his desk, and for once it doesn’t remind him of how his parents didn’t care, or how he’s lost the only people who did. It reminds him that despite everything he’s gone through, despite how many times he’s been broken, he always ends up whole in the end.

He’ll get through this too, and it’s okay if he’s broken right now, if he can’t stop thinking about how Link must hate him, or what must be waiting for him on his still-turned-off phone, because maybe magic is real, even if it’s only the type that lets you move on from heartbreak.

Despite his new resolve, he still drags a bit getting ready. He puts his hair back in a slightly less elaborate half-braid and gets going to the library, albeit five minutes late.

When he gets there, his boss, an elderly man named Kaneli, raises an eyebrow but otherwise says nothing. He’s always been a model employee, so he supposes this one incident is acceptable. He immediately busies himself in the back of the library, losing himself in the monotony of indexing and shelving the new shipments.

He’s humming something or other and nodding his head to the imagined beat when he hears the sound of someone knocking on a bookshelf behind him.

Embarrassed, he whirls around, only to find Link.

He blinks at him, confused, treacherous heart soaring slightly, before he realizes why he’s probably here: to yell at him.

“Look, I—”

“YOU TURN OFF PHONE,” Link signs, face inscrutable.

“I…yeah, I did.” Revali exhales slowly.

“WHY?”

Revali purses his lips, then looks away ashamedly. “I didn’t know how to face you after what I did to you. Everything I did to you. One of my many faults is cowardice.”

Link sighs with a hint of exasperation and taps Revali on the shoulder to get Revali to look back in Link’s direction. “NOT NOW. TURN ON PHONE, CHECK MY T-U-M-B-L-R.”

Revali frowns, but does so. There’s complete silence as Revali’s phone powers on and as Revali navigates to themasterknight’s profile.

**birdistheword**

**anonymous** asked:

what did you finally realize how much people hate you? well i hate to break it to you but that’s not going to stop just because you say you were wrong. people hate you because you’re a genuinely hateful person, and no apology can change that. you’ve only gotten away with all of this for this long because nobody knows who you are, but what happens when we find out? what do you do when we know who you really are?

[a picture of a boy with blue braided hair and a post-it note in his hands reading “This is who I really am.”]

@themasterknight

Revali winces and looks pleadingly at Link. Link scowls and points at the phone, and Revali begrudgingly continues reading.

**themasterknight**

I honestly didn’t know how to respond to this at first. Was I supposed to be mad that you didn’t tell me about this for months? (I was.) Was I supposed to hate you for a one-sided feud you ended when you met me, and also for lying to me? (I didn’t.) Was I supposed to be sad that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth? (I am.) Was I supposed to agree with you that you’re the awful person you think you are? (I don’t.)

You asked me how I know that I didn’t take advantage of you, how I know that anything about you is real.

I have compiled a list of answers to that question.

  1. You haven’t taken advantage of me, for one. You changed your story to be closer to yourself, but that’s not a technique that’s exclusively mine anyway, and plus it resulted in one of the best stories I’ve ever read, fanfiction or no. If that’s what you taking advantage of me looks like, please feel free to continue to do so.
  2. You’re too bad a liar to get away with a long con. Your eyebrow twitches when you’re telling even a half-truth, and the corners of your mouth go all downturned like you’re really sad that you’re lying.
  3. You’ve never asked for anything but my friendship, and I’ve always been happy to give that to you.
  4. You always look the slightest bit afraid when you touch me, like I’ll disappear if you do it.
  5. Actually, you’re always a bit afraid to do _anything,_ whether it’s talking to me or any of my friends. It makes me wonder what did that to you.
  6. Whenever you call me your friend, your face lights up a little bit, like you’ve never gotten to say that about anyone before.
  7. I’ve seen your browser history and that you’ve been doing ASL self-study so I don’t have to fingerspell so much when I’m with you.
  8. Whenever I asked if I could go to your house, you always looked a bit hopeful before turning me down.
  9. You never complained about being my beta, even when it’s late or even when you were presumably writing your own fic.
  10. You do complain a lot about spicy food.
  11. You also complain a lot about library patrons and people being disrespectful.
  12. Actually you just complain a lot in general.
  13. But you never insult people, just their actions.
  14. You tell the best stories.
  15. You also tell the worst jokes.
  16. You laugh at your own jokes even when nobody else will.
  17. When you get really into it, you start snorting, and then you catch yourself and clap your hand over your mouth with your eyes wide like you’ve been caught doing something scandalous.
  18. You blush at, like, even the slightest innuendo, even though you write some of the dirtiest smut I’ve ever read.
  19. You also blush whenever I call you pet names. I call you pet names a lot for that reason.
  20. Your hands are really soft, and you deny moisturizing but I totally saw it that one time when your ‘messenger bag’ spilled on the floor. There was a travel-sized lotion in there.
  21. You call your purse a messenger bag.
  22. You use all of these weird sayings that I’m pretty sure were used exclusively in the 50’s and at no other time. For a reason, too.
  23. You use emoticons just to make me smile.
  24. You never say no to me, even when you probably should.
  25. You have the most adorable smile.
  26. You have freckles, even though you refuse to admit it.
  27. You’re the sweetest boy I’ve ever met.
  28. You always get the door for me, which is a pointless display of chivalry but really cute.
  29. You’re always so afraid that I’ll leave that you never consider that I want to stay by your side for as long as you’ll have me.
  30. You love me.



Revali looks up, eyes wide and apologetic. He knows? He had never intended to let on. Link checks the screen, then rolls his eyes and scrolls down, jabbing his finger firmly at the last item on the list.

  1. I love you.



Revali stares at that for a while, then gazes at Link confusedly, who is shifting his weight awkwardly and blushing.

For lack of something to say, he looks back down at the post, which finishes off,

You’ll probably turn your phone off because you’re scared, so I’ll see you at the library tomorrow. :) I bet you won’t believe me, either, but I’m going to do my best to change that.

(and to my followers, inb4 you fall all over yourselves wondering how birdie and i got from his first review of my chapter to this post: it’s a long story, and for once it’s not yours ♥)

#goddess i can’t believe i’m about to post this #revali you had better appreciate this grand gesture #bc as much as you whine about my clichés i know you love em just as much as i do #and for old time’s sake: #birdie bs #text post tag

When Revali goes back to looking at Link, expression wonderstruck and a little bit scared, Link raises his eyebrows at Revali and signs, “YOU BELIEVE ME?”

And Revali doesn’t know how this is his reality, or how someone like Link might even consider loving someone like him, and he’s terrified of what’s about to happen, but he takes a single step forward and gives a small nod, and Link makes up the distance between them like he always does.

(Less acceptable than turning up late, as it turns out, is making out in the back of the library. Revali doesn’t hear the end of it from any of his coworkers for days.

Totally worth it, though.)

**kaoslordofchaos**

OMG??????? @kingdavearoo @abrilliantperson @relvoro @idontknow 

**yuukuufan**

what the frick just happened

**alvorolover**

guess they’ve gone from being hate-gay to just being normal gay. i support their journey

**urbosawins**

finally @miphmiph @eatyourgravel @kaomojiking @leldazelda

And so, as most good stories do, it ends as it begins—except not quite, not really, because Revali is writing a new story, but Link is on the couch next to him, nestled on his shoulder and snoring a little bit. And Revali has a crush on Link, but Link has a crush on him as well, and it certainly isn’t just about writing anymore. And the bird is still on his desk, and it still means abandonment and love and moving on, but now it also has a partner—a gift from Link, a little yellow ceramic bird, and it’s new and familiar at the same time, and he hopes it will be there forever. (If it breaks, though, there’s always a new one at that tacky souvenir shop.) And Revali is starting to learn that there are shades of gray in a world that was previously black and white, and he’s starting to learn that he might not be the worthless person that he thought he was, and he’s starting to learn that he can use this hammy parallel construction in real life and it will make Link grin and kiss him every time.

Revali looks at Link again and smiles, slow and soft. He has so many things to learn from Link and from life and from love. He doesn’t think he’ll write it down, though. He doesn’t have the right words to describe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took us a while, but we got there! thanks for waiting for me and coming along with me with these silly boys. see you on another fic!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, as always! i can always be found at [anuninterestingperson](http://anuninterestingperson.tumblr.com) on tumblr! come say hi :D


End file.
